By the time he turned his steps homewards it was nearly eleven o’clock.  Fullalove Alley was quiet, and after listening for some time at his window he turned the handle of the door and passed in.  The nearly empty bottle stood on the table, and an over-turned tumbler accounted for a large, dark patch on the table-cloth.  As he entered the room the kitchen door opened and Mr. Nathan Smith, with a broad smile on his face, stepped briskly in.

“All over,” he said, rubbing his hands; “he went off like a lamb, no trouble nor fighting.  He was a example to all of us.”

“Did the cap’n see ’im aboard?” inquired Mr. Wilks.

“Certainly not,” said the other.  “As a matter o’ fact the cap’n took a little more than I told ’im to take, and I ’ad to help ’im up to your bed.  Accidents will ’appen, but he’ll be all right in the morning if nobody goes near ’im.  Leave ’im perfectly quiet, and when ’e comes downstairs give ‘im a strong cup o’ tea.”

“In my bed?” repeated the staring Mr. Wilks.

“He’s as right as rain,” said the boarding master.  “I brought down a pillow and blankets for you and put ’em in the kitchen.  And now I’ll take the other two pound ten and be getting off ’ome.  It ought to be ten pounds really with the trouble I’ve ’ad.”

Mr. Wilks laid the desired amount on the table, and Mr. Nathan Smith placing it in his pocket rose to go.

“Don’t disturb ’im till he’s ’ad ’is sleep out, mind,” he said, pausing at the door, “else I can’t answer for the consequences.  If ’e should get up in the night and come down raving mad, try and soothe ’im.  Good-night and pleasant dreams.”

He closed the door after him quietly, and the horrified steward, after fetching the bed-clothes on tiptoe from the kitchen, locked the door which led to the staircase, and after making up a bed on the floor lay down in his clothes and tried to get to sleep.

He dozed off at last, but woke up several times during the night with the cold.  The lamp burnt itself out, and in the dark he listened intently for any sounds of life in the room above.  Then he fell asleep again, until at about half-past seven in the morning a loud crash overhead awoke him with a start.

In a moment he was sitting up with every faculty on the alert.  Footsteps blundered about in the room above, and a large and rapidly widening patch of damp showed on the ceiling.  It was evident that the sleeper, in his haste to quench an abnormal thirst, had broken the water jug.

Mr. Wilks, shivering with dread, sprang to his feet and stood irresolute.  Judging by the noise, the captain was evidently in a fine temper, and Mr. Smith’s remarks about insanity occurred to him with redoubled interest.  Then he heard a hoarse shout, the latch of the bedroom door clicked, and the prisoner stumbled heavily downstairs and began to fumble at the handle of the door at the bottom.  Trembling with excitement Mr. Wilks dashed forward and turned the key, and then retreating to the street door prepared for instant flight.